Five Women Police Officers appointed in Khyber tribal district for the first time, a senior official said on saturday.
Khyber, which borders Afghanistan, is one of the seven tribal districts that have experienced years of militancy. The appointment of women officers here could pose significant challenges.
Today, Khyber District Police Officer (DPO) Saleem Abbas Kulachi issued notifications announcing the appointment of women police officers, including four additional station house officers (SHOs).
“Appointment of women police officers is aimed at ensuring hundreds of thousands of women to have access to justice,” Kulachi informed after issuing appointment notification.
“Women in merged districts have all capabilities and women belonging to all sections would be given opportunities to perform duties,” DPO said.
Mehak Pervez Masih, previously serving in general duty at Ali Masjid police station, has been appointed as the additional station house officer (SHO) for Landi Kotal.
Lady Constable Naila Jabbar has been appointed at Ali Majid police station as additional SHO; previously she was doing general duty at Bara police station,
Fatima Sameen Jan will now serve as the additional SHO at Bara police station.
Lady Constable Nusrat, she will perform her duties at Jamrud police station as additional SHO.
Lastly, Lady Constable Shanza has been assigned to general duty at police lines Khyber.
Tribal elder Malik Habib from North Waziristan told Dawn.com that no female police officer has ever been appointed to work in the field in tribal areas, noting that women typically worked only in the education and health sectors. “Only women doctors and teachers work in the tribal areas,” Malik Habib remarked.
Khyber has been a hotspot for outlawed groups like Lashkar-i-Islam and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and was once a key supply route for US-led NATO forces in Afghanistan.
